New Balkh leadership urged to combat graft

Monitoring Desk

MAZAR-I-SHARIF: The newly-appointed provincial administration of northern Balkh province should prioritize maintaining security and combating corruption, public representatives and civil society activists say.

Ending a months-old dispute with President Ashraf Ghani, Atta Mohammad Noor stepped down as Balkh governor after his hand-picked choice was appointed his successor. On March 22, Mohammad Ishaq Rahguzar took over as the new governor of Balkh and Gen. Akram Saame as new police chief.

Hamid Safut, a civil society member, told Pajhwok Afghan News after new appointments people were now expecting transparent provincial administration affairs. He said still a huge distance existed between the masses and government authorities. Mazar-i-Sharif residents are habitual of carrying weapons and living in fear, the activist said.

Balkh provincial council head Dr. Mohammad Afzal Hadid said the new appointments had pleased people and happiness was their right.

He said the authorities were responsible to pay serious heed to their own affairs and the new officials had promised to do so. New Governor Ishaq Rahguzar said he would never break the president’s trust in serving people.

Earlier, he had told his introduction ceremony: “I don’t belong to a tribe, party or group, I’m the governor of people and will address any problem they face in line with the law.” Police chief M. Akram Sami said narrowing the distance between security forces and public would be his top priority. He would enforce law and stop law violations and that security officials would strive to further people’s confidence in police this way.